Billet marker



. un 16 1953 J. E. WHITT'AKE 2,64 ,995

BILLET MARKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Fi1e d,F eb. 28, 1946 INVENTOR E MUM/(51e- $0 bis-Ming J. E. WHITTRKER June 16, 1953 BILLET MARKER '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 28, 1946 N a Q a N w h. v INVENTOR /4/1455 zE'W/wrm/m June'l6, 1953 J,E. WHI'TTAKER 2,641,995 BILLET MARKER Original Filed Feb. 28, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR $4459 5 WW 774K542.

Patented June 16,1953 7 UNITED STATE 5 PATENT OFFICE BILLET MARKER 7.

James E. Whittaker, Superior, Wis assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Original application February 28, 1946, Serial No.

650,924, now Patent No. 2,541,800, dated February 13, 1951. Divided and this application June 29, 1950, Serial No. 171,116 Y f is required to operate the hammer, such operation being accomplished as a result of thetravel of the billet or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide adjustable means for mounting the hammer to suit different thicknesses of billets or the like.

A further object is to provide a swivel head on thehammer which carries the marking stamps so that the head will adjust itself automatically tosuit the angle of cut on the end face of the billet or thelike.

A further object is theswivel head can be shifted to different positions so as to stamp either a horizontal or diagonal line of'identifying characters on the upright end face of the billet or the like.

Another object is to provide means to prevent rebound of the hammer, thereby assuring that the stamps will always be in proper position for impact with the oncoming billet or the like.

An additional object is to provide means to facilitate bodily changing the hammer and also the stamps carried thereby;

Another object is to provide the hammer with a roller adapted to ride on the billet and prevent wear.

A further object is to construct and arrange the parts hereinafter shown and described so that individually and in combination they effectively perform the functions set forth.

The above and further features of the invention will be fully apparent from consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a billet marking machine illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention; y s

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section taken substantially along the line IIIIII of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail section of a snubber for preventing rebound of the hammer; Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail of theadjustable pivotal mounting for the hammer;

5 Claims. (01. 101-4) 2 Figure 6 is a front elevation of Figure 5; V Figure '7 is afragmentary detail View of the stamp-carrying end of the hammer;

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line VIII--VIII of Figures 2 and '7; p I

Figure 9 'is' a detached detail of the stamp holder; 7

Figure 10 is an end view of the stamp holder; Figure 11 is a detailof one of the stamps removed from the holder of Figure 9; and

Figure 12 is an end view ofone of the stamps Referring in detail to the drawings, the machine embodying the present invention is adapted to apply identifying marks such as numbers or combinations of numbers and letters to the upright front edge face of each of a plurality of to provide means whereby billets or slabs while they are traveling longitudinally at a comparatively high rate of speed. The machine shown includes a frame member which forms part of a conventional run-out table equipped with a numberof suitably driven rolls l2 which serve to move the billetsB in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1.- As each billet' reaches the marking station, it is adapted anism which is entirely automatic and which requires no outside source of power to operate the marking hammer.

Mounted in juxtaposition to the run-out table I provide a suitable standard I4 which near its top supports an angle bar It on which is mounted a bearing l8 for a shaft adapted to be held in various fixed positions of adjustment by a set screw 22 (Figure 6). Formed eccentrically on the shaft is a journal shank 24 which forms a pivotal mounting fora hammer lever 26 (Figure 5). vates or lowers the eccentric journal shank 24 so as to adjust the position of the holder 28 carried by the head 30 at the free end of the hammer.

screw (Figure 5).

Near its outer end the journal shank 24 has a groove 34 (Figure 5) for coaction with a'plunger 36 which is secured to the end of a rod 38 guided in suitable apertures formed in brackets 40-42. The plunger 36 slides in a guide slot formed in bracket 42. A pin 44. pivotally connects rod 38 to a link 46, which in turn is pivoted at 48 to the upper end of a hand' lever 50. Said lever has a hand grip adapted to be actuated so as to lift the rod 38 against the action of a compression spring 52 mounted thereon between brackets 40 Turning the shaft- 20 in the bearing I8 ele- The eccentric journal carries a collar 21 adjustably secured thereto by a suitable set it being understood by those skilled in the art that a great number of billets from a single heat of steel are usually given the same identifying number. Thus when the billet from a different heat comes along, it is necessary either to stop the movement or to change the marking means quickly. The present invention makes it unnecessary to stop the movement of the-billets, and greatly facilitates this quick change of the marking means by providing an arrangement in which one hammer can be removed bodily and another hammer inserted in its place, the latter having previously had the proper identifying numbers or characters setup in the stamp holder thereof corresponding to the new heat of steel.

As the hammer lever 26 moves in its normal arcuate path, it is guided between a continuous quadrant plate 54 and two short arcuate guide plates 56 and 58 secured at 6'0 and 62 to the angle bar It and the upright stand I4 (Figure 1). At the time of making the change from one hammer to another, the lever 2:6 is swung approximately to the dotted position of Figure 1, whereupon the hand grip 58 is clasped so as to withdraw the plunger 36 from thegroove- 34 and thuspermit the hammer lever 25 to be removed by lateral movement from the space between the arcuate plates 55 and 58'. By a similar reverse operation, a substitute lever 26 canbe quickly mounted on the journal shank 24.

At its outer extremity, the hammer is forked for the reception of a roller 64 rotatably mounted on a bolt'fili penetrating the forked portion. The hammer head is formed with a semispherical cavity or seat 68, forming a self-centering swivel mounting for the stamp holder indicated as a whole at 1i (Figure 9). This stamp holder includes a shank portion I2 which is adapted to pass through a flared. hole 74 inthe head so as to permit limited relative swiveling action of the holder (Figure 8) Loosely fitted over the shank T2 is a washer is against which a compression spring T8 presses, the other end of this spring engaging a washer 80 which is adjustably positioned by a nut 82 screwed on the threaded end of the shank l2.

The stamp holder as shown. in Figures 8 and 9 includes an enlarged spherical body 84 of approximately the same radius as the seat 68. The body 84 carries a radially extending stud 88 adapted to be selectively engaged with the notches 88, 9B, or 92 (Figure 7). When the stud 86 is engaged with the notch. 88, the stamps will be positioned to impress a substantially horizontal line of identifying characters on the end face I) .of the billet, and when. the said stud 86 is engaged. with either the slots 90 or 92 the lines of characters will be impressed obliquely, along lines making a 45 angle with the horizontal, for example, as will be understood from the drawings.

A plurality of marking stamps, such as shown at 96 in Figures ll and 12 are removably secured in line in a slot or recess 94 formed in the ennumbers or letters. At a point intermediate the type face and the butt end, each stamp has an arcuate recess I06 for coaction with a keeper pin I08. This pin has an operating knob Ill and at the end opposite the knob carries a compression pring I I2 adapted to impositively hold it in. The keeper pin has a flattened portion H4. As thus arranged it is possible to remove the stamps quickly and easily, and insert others having different type faces. To effect such a change it is necessary merely to turn the keeper pin so as to bring the flattened portion H4 opposite the notch I06 in the stamp, thus permitting the stampto fall out, it being understood that normally the cylindrical body portion of the keeper pin snugly engages the arcuate slot I96 in the several stamps.

The machine is equipped with snubbers I i6 and H8 secured respectively to the angle bar It and the standard I4 (Figures 1 and3-). These snubbersare of duplicate construction, and a description of one will suffice for both. As shown in Figure 4, each snubber includes a pneumatic cylinder I20 having a piston I22 working therein and functioning as an air cushion. The piston hasa forwardly extending portion I24 and a rearwardly extending shank I26. The shank I26 carries a bushing I 28 seated against which there is acomp-ression spring [30 whose opposite end engages the wall I 32 of a screw cap I34, threaded at Ht to a plug Hi8 which is screwed into one end of the cylinder L20.

In operation, rollers I2 of. the conveyor table propel the billets at a speed of about 600 feet per minute. As the leading end 79 of each billet strikes the stamps 96, these stamps make a deep identifying impression in the upright end face of the billet, it being understood that the billets on the run-out table are in a red. hot or incandescent state; If. the billet has not been. cut truly square, the die holder swivels on. its spherical head to a position parallel to the billet end, andspring 18 holds it in this position- Upon impact; the. hammer swings up in. an are about journal- 24. At the upper end of it stroke the hammer strikes the piston rod of snubber H5, which lessens the shock and prevents rebound. It is desirable to prevent rebound at this point, since this allows for more time for a billet to pas through under the hammer head 33. While the hammer arm is up, a billet passes, and when the hammer arm falls the roller 64 strikes and rides on the top surface of the billet, as indicated in dottedlines in Figure 1. After the billetpasses beyond the roller vE54, the hammer arm falls to the full-line position of Figure l and the. aircushioned piston of the snubber IIS prevents its rebounding. Preventing reboundv at this stage is considered more important than the prevention of rebound on theupswing.- When the billets are traveling at a high rate of speed. and are from 8 tov 12 feet apart, any rebound would cause the stamps to engage the billets at a point too highon the end. face or to miss them altogether.

While I' have described. quite precisely a constructionand arrangement of parts whichv an actual reduction to practice shows is highly desirable, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, since various modifications and substitu tions of. equivalent may be made without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims- I claim: 1 V

l. A billet marking apparatus comprising a standard adapted to be supported on a run-out ard, a hammer lever journaled on said shank, means releasably retaining said lever on said shank, arcuate guide means supported on said standard and guiding the path of said lever and having an opening through which said lever may be withdrawn on release of said retaining means, die holding means mounted for universal movement adjacent the free end of said lever, a die removably fixed in said die holding means and adapted to be struck sharply by the leading end of each billet traveling on the run-out table and thus to mark billet ends, and a roller mounted on the free end of said lever beyond said die holding means and having its circumference extending beyond the free end of said lever for riding over a billet passing beneath the lever.

2. A billet marking apparatus comprising a standard adapted to be supported on a run-out table, a horizontal shank supported on said standard, a hammer lever journaled on said shank to swing through a horizontal arc, retractable means on said lever engaged with said shank for releasably retaining said lever on said shank, arcuate guide means supported on said standard and guiding the path of said lever and having an opening through which said lever may be Withdrawn on retraction of said retaining means, snubber means supported on said standard and limiting swinging of said lever and preventing rebound, die holding means mounted for limited universal movement adjacent the free end of said lever, a die removably fixed in said die holding means and adapted to be struck sharply by the leading end of each billet traveling on the run-out table and thue to mark billet ends, and a roller mounted on the free end of said lever beyond said die holding means and having its circumference extending beyond the free end of said lever for riding over a billet passing beneath the lever.

' 3. A billet marking apparatus comprising a standard adapted to be supported on a run-out table, bearing means supported on said standard adjacent the top thereof, a free-swinging lever journaled on said bearing means to turn on a horizontal axis, a die mounted on said lever adjacent the free end thereof and adapted to mounted on the free end of said lever beyond said die and having its circumference extending beyond the free end of said lever for riding over a billet passing beneath the lever.

4. A billet marking apparatus comprising a standard adapted to be supported on a run-out table, a journal shank supported on said standard adjacent the top thereof and having a groove around its outer portion, a free swinging lever pivotally mounted on said shank, a retractable plunger carried by said lever and normally riding in said groove for holding said lever on said shank, means for retracting said plunger and thus permitting ready removal of said lever, a die mounted on said lever adjacent the free end thereof and adapted to be struck sharply by the leading end of each billet traveling on the runout table and thus to mark the billet ends, a pair of arcuately spaced snubbers supported on said standard and adapted to be engaged by said lever at opposite ends of its swing for limiting the swinging movement thereof and preventing rebound, and a roller mounted on the free end of said lever beyond said die and having its circumference extending beyond the free end of said lever for riding over a billet passing beneath the lever.

5. A billet marking apparatus comprising a standard adapted to be supported on a run-out table, a journal shank supported on said standard adjacent the top thereof and having a groove around its outer portion, a free swinging lever pivotally mounted on said shank, a retractable plunger carried by said lever and normally riding in said groove for holding the lever on the shank, means for retracting said plunger and thus permitting ready removal of said lever, a handle carried by said lever and connected with said plunger for operating the latter, and die means mounted on said lever adjacent the free end thereof.

JAMES E. WI-IITTAKER. I

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,652,057 shipley Dec. 6, 1927 1,652,087 Bowman Dec. 6, 1927 1,896,548 Lunden Feb. 7, 1933 2,418,165 Deitrich Apr. 1, 1947 2,418,213 Winterkamp Apr. 1, 1947 2,532,540 Dailey Dec. 5, 1950 

